US embassy cable - 04QUEBEC107

UNCLAS QUEBEC 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
OTTAWA FOR ECON AND DHS/ICE 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, EWWT, KCIP, PHSA, PTER, PREL, KCRM, MARAD, Ports, IMO 
SUBJECT: QUEBEC PORT AUTHORITY COMPLIES WITH ISPS CODE 
 
REF: A. HALIFAX 134 
 
     B. MONTREAL 696 
     C. TORONTO 1132 
     D. LIMA 3239 
 
 
1.  Summary:  The Port of Quebec announced significant 
investments to heighten security at its six harbor facilities 
hence fulfilling the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 
International Shipping and Port Security Code (ISPS).    With 
financial assistance from the federal government to help meet 
the requirements, the Quebec Port Authority has committed Cdn$1 
million this year to improve port infrastructures and increase 
staffing.  U.S. Coast Guard audited facilities July 1.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  The Quebec Port Authority (QPA) announced investments worth 
Cdn$1 million to comply with the ISPS requirements that took 
effect July 1, 2004.  Transport Canada on May 14 approved a port 
facility plan and a cost and security assessment, and will 
reimburse 75% of the total investments.  Quebec harbormaster 
Michel Petit told us that the sums will add security fencing, 
gatehouses, magnetic control cards, and surveillance cameras to 
monitor the port area.  A new coordination center was also put 
into operation and will operate in partnership with the local 
RCMP division, Canadian Coast Guard, and municipal police.  The 
QPA has also quadrupled the number of port police, made of up 
contract security agents, on the site. 
 
3. Petit was reluctant to provide further details on the new 
measures, maintaining it was protected information.  (Post heard 
of the measures via a radio news item; it was not covered in the 
usually more thorough local print media, nor is it noted on the 
Port website.)  Petit pointed out that U.S. Coast Guard and 
Transport Canada officials had audited the port facilities on 
July 1, which easily met the set standards. Work is steadily 
underway, he said, and should be totally implemented by December 
2004. 
 
4.  Quebec City attracts 58,000 cruise ship passengers, many of 
which are Americans arriving from Boston and New York, as well 
as 21,000 crew members.  In 2003, the Port of Quebec handled 
20.2 million tons of merchandise; mainly wheat, iron ore, 
clinker, methanol, newspaper, crude and jet oil, and alumina. 
Port Director Ross Gaudreault announced that 2003 ended with 
record tonnage - a 45% increase over the preceding two years. 
The new security initiatives put into place will improve the 
monitoring of shipments and passengers arriving and circulating 
in the metropolitan Quebec City area.